Problems faced by a redhead
by Ann the dreamer
Summary: Fiery redhead Poppy Kerrigan starts her first term at waterloo road. Despite seeing physical evidence of her traumatic past everyday, will she be able to make a fresh start? And will she be able to tame her hot tongue and make some friends?


_Authors note- Hi this is my first ever fanfiction. So as many of you probably know, Waterloo Road is sadly coming to an end (if you didn't know, sorry for breaking it to ya! ;p) so I thought people might need a story to keep them going. I do not own any of the characters or themes in this story, apart from Poppy. I hope you guys like it and feel free to review!_

My eyes flicked open at the loud, aggravating sound of my red alarm clock screaming for me to get up. I moaned and turned onto my front, cocooned in the cosy burrow of my bed sheets after violently smacking the snooze button on the tiny clock to stop its excruciating wail. I was seconds away from going back to the perfect world of sweet dreams when I heard two loud knocks on the wooden door to my new bedroom. The door, covered in headshots of models with their hair twisted into various, impossible plaits, buns and other hairstyles, opened to reveal a motherly looking women staring disapprovingly at me lying in my bed. Her ginger hair, naturally wavy, curved inwards, framing her face and settling on her shoulders.

"Poppy Kerrigan if you don't get up right this minute you'll be late for your first day at school!" The women sighed.

She reached down to the carpeted floor and picked up an empty bottle of hairspray and threw it in the bin without me seeing. The bottle made a loud bang against the tin of the bin which made me jump and swiftly roll out of my comfortable bed and onto the floor.

"Ha!" Cried Mrs Budgen, "At least something got you up!"

I gave her a bitter, sarcastic smile as she strode, satisfied with herself, to the door and left. Reluctantly, I picked myself off the floor and plodded towards my mirror. My heart sank. Despite having about nine hours of sleep, I had huge bags under my eyes. A strand of my red, curly hair was stuck by what I assumed was drool to the corner of my lip and the one of the legs of my pyjama bottoms had ridden up to my pale knees revealing a long scar. I quickly tugged down on the fabric, hiding the ugly mark on my leg from view and shook my head to scatter thoughts and memories from my mind. My new uniform lay on my desk chair…

I rolled the black, pleated skirt inwards at the hips, bringing it up to settle nicely, halfway up my thigh and tied the red and yellow striped tie loosely round the collar of my white blouse that lay underneath my black blazer. I then took my hair out of the messy bun I'd put it in the night before and let it fall to my waist.

It took about half an hour for me to decide what to do with my hair. I plaited it, put it in a tight bun, messy bun, a simple ponytail, but nothing seemed to look right. I groaned as I shook the crazy, scarlet hair out of a navy blue scrunchy. I was back to where I started, with the red mane blanketing my shoulders and stopping at my hips. I sighed and opened a new bottle of hairspray out of a draw and sprayed my hair so that it would stay in its usual, flamboyant state and not become flat during the day. Keep the hair big to distract from the limp I thought to myself. The limp…

Everyone was going to notice, ask questions, point, stare, and laugh. What was I going to do about P.E? My anxious thoughts chased me out of my room and I slammed the door behind me. I stood, in the middle of the landing taking short, sharp breaths, my green eyes wide open. Lenny Brown, who was walking past, noticed the anxious look on my face and stopped.

"You alright?" He asked, his Scottish accent thick and strong.

I nodded, faking a smile. He gave me a strange look. He obviously knew I was lying.

"Look," He said, placing a hand on my shoulder "it's normal to be scared on your first day of…"

"I'm not scared." I interrupted, standing tall, with what I thought was a calm expression on my face.

He smirked, I didn't know why. "Okay well do you want to come downstairs and get some breakfast?"

"Sure!" I said, eagerly snatching at a chance to get out of the awkward situation I was stuck in. We walked down the stairs together towards the kitchen. I pretended to listen, as Lenny chattered away to me about his first day at Waterloo Road.

In the kitchen, there were two tables surrounded by the noisy teenagers I had got to know over the weekend I had been living in the school house. Lenny went to sit with his sister, Lisa, but I took my normal seat at the different table, knowing that she could be very protective of her brother. Rhiannon Salt sat on the opposite side of the table to me, eating cereal. She smiled at me. I loved her hair. It was red, like mine, although hers had been dyed, and mine was natural. I could tell because it had more of a smooth uniform colour, but mine stayed matt.

I stuck my tongue out at a younger boy called Harvey, who I'd gotten along with well. He made a face at me as I bit into my toast that I'd drenched in strawberry jam, my favourite.

After breakfast, I rushed up the stairs to the bathroom, trying to avoid the rush to the sink that I'd noticed was a daily, morning occurrence. Half way through brushing my teeth I checked the delicate, gold watch on my wrist. I nearly spat my mouthful of toothpaste onto the bathroom mirror from the shock that I had from seeing the time. I had five minutes until I had to leave! I hadn't even packed my bag!

I rushed through the landing and burst through my bedroom door. I practically dived into my wardrobe which contained all the possible options I had for a schoolbag that didn't make me look about ten years old. After about thirty second of thoughts rushing through my mind at the speed of light, I finally settled on a denim rucksack. I shoved my aztec patterned pencil case into the empty, navy bag. What else did I need? Ah yes! My phone. I fumbled underneath my duvet covers for the phone I had been on the night before. I heard it drop under my bed after it slid off the mattress. I grabbed the phone and being the idiot that I am forgot that I was kneeling under a very hard, wooden surface. Obliviously, I attempted to stand up and smacked my seemingly empty head on the bottom of my bed.

"Aaah!" I moaned loudly. But there was no time for pain.

I heard Maggie calling me from downstairs. I grabbed my beaded purse from my bedside table and stuffed it into my bag, enjoying the satisfying sound of the coins clinking inside the material. I also, added a half-finished pack of tic-tacs to the contents of my bag and pushed my feet into my heeled, patent, black shoes. I'd tie the laces later.

Proud that I was actually on time for once, I slipped into my dark green jacket, grabbed my now full bag and swung out of the door. I saw Mrs Budgen waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs with a few other children and I smiled as I galloped down the carpeted staircase. However, due to my carelessness, I stepped on one of my trailing shoe laces and ended up falling face first down the stairs. I tumbled, my heart pounding, towards the people below me. I heard gasps, someone even screamed! After I finally came to a halt, because I managed to grab onto the banister, worried and anxious faces turned to disapproving ones staring down at me as I lay on the sloping surface cackling.

After witnessing a few eye rolls and tying my troublesome laces, the front door was opened and I took a breath of fresh air, and took my first steps towards my new school, Waterloo Road.


End file.
